1. Field of Technology and Background
It is well known that, when taking any kind of picture with a conventional film camera or a digital camera, the camera has to be rotated depending on a picture alignment wanted, e.g., horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait). Some cameras are not designed to be easily tilted manually and due to an uncomfortable grip there is a high probability of fingers, carrying straps, etc. to be in front of a camera lens or a flash light during picture taking thus damaging pictures. Professional system cameras have special arrangements to make it easier taking portrait photos. But still the photographer has to change the alignment of the camera. This can be especially important when professionals use their cameras in the events where the moment can be missed during rotating the camera (e.g., sport photography).
2. Problem Formulation
When digital cameras emerged, the conventional 35 mm film was removed from the camera and it was replaced with an image sensor. The shape of the image sensor was the same as that of the film. This enables taking only one picture shape using this type of digital cameras when a total active area of the image sensor is used. It is desirable to expand this capability, so pictures with various picture orientations (e.g., vertical, horizontal, etc.) can be taken while maintaining the same picture shape and aspect ratio for all orientations and avoiding moving the camera for changing the picture orientation.
3. Prior Art
Normal compact digital cameras are meant to be used by tilting 90° to the right or left when taking vertical pictures. But the grip is almost always so uncomfortable in this type of orientations that the normal touch can be lost. This causes abnormal holding and possibility of inserting fingers, carrying straps, etc. in front of the lens or the flash light and damaging pictures.
Professional cameras have two handle grips and two shutter release buttons, two main dial wheels, two AE locking buttons, etc., thus providing almost a complete set of controls for both handles and having a similar touch when taking both horizontal and vertical pictures.
In today's new digital cameras there is a camera alignment sensor inside the camera which detects the orientation of the camera, and the vertical picture (taken with the camera tilted 90° to right/left) is automatically rotated to an upright position (the right orientation) for more convenient viewing on the screen when previewing the pictures. But in that solution the size of the vertical picture on the screen is smaller than in a horizontal case because the height of the screen is limiting the height of the picture to be viewed. The user still has to rotate pictures using an image processing tool before use.
Mobile phone cameras are meant to be used with the phone orientated vertically (in the orientation where it is used while using it as a phone). In that case the image sensor produces a horizontal picture. Some phones (e.g., Nokia 3650) have a portrait mode which takes vertical pictures. But in that case the picture size is smaller than in the horizontal picture. In the vertical picture the height of the picture is the same as in the horizontal picture but the width and thus the area is only 56% of the horizontal picture width (if the aspect ratio of the pictures is the same).
Disclosure of the Invention
The object of the present invention is to provide a methodology for changing a picture orientation of a picture taken by an image sensor of an electronic device, e.g., for taking horizontal and vertical pictures without changing an orientation of an electronic device containing said image sensor, according to the present invention.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for changing an orientation of a picture taken by an image sensor of an electronic device without changing an orientation of the electronic device, comprising the steps of: providing a picture orientation command signal to a picture orientation switch of the electronic device by a user; providing a readout switch signal to a sensor readout module by the picture orientation switch in response to the picture orientation command signal; and switching the picture orientation in the sensor readout module from an initial picture orientation to a further picture orientation in response to the readout switch signal before the picture is taken by the image sensor of the electronic device, wherein the initial picture orientation is one of M possible picture orientations available for switching in the sensor readout module and the further picture orientation is one of the remaining M−1 possible picture orientations, M in an integer of at least a value of two.
According further to the first aspect of the invention, a picture size and a picture aspect ratio for all the M possible picture orientations may be identical.
Further according to the first aspect of the invention, the initial picture orientation may be set to a predetermined default picture orientation when an electric power is turned on in the electronic device. Further, the predetermined default picture orientation may be a horizontal orientation. Still further, the method may further comprise the steps of: providing a picture taking command signal to the readout module by the user; and providing a readout signal to the image sensor by the sensor readout module in response to the picture taking command signal for taking the picture with the further picture orientation using only an active area of the image sensor which corresponds to the further picture orientation. Yet still further, the method may further comprise the step of: automatically re-setting the further picture orientation to the predetermined default picture orientation after the picture with the further picture orientation is taken. Yet further still, the picture taking command signal may be provided by the user through a user interface.
Still further according to the first aspect of the invention, a non-picture area of an image viewfinder of the electronic device may be used for displaying image and photography information related to the picture, wherein the non-picture area is an area of the image viewfinder which does not correspond to an active area of the image sensor used for taking a picture with the initial picture orientation or with the further picture orientation, or which is not used for taking pictures with any combination of the M picture orientations.
According further to the first aspect of the invention, the image sensor may have a cross shape or a square shape.
According still further to the first aspect of the invention, the image sensor may be a charged-coupled device (CCD) or a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS).
According further still to the first aspect of the invention, the initial picture orientation may be a horizontal picture orientation or a vertical picture orientation and the further picture orientation may be the vertical picture orientation or the horizontal picture orientation, respectively.
According yet further still to the first aspect of the invention, the electronic device may be a camera, a portable communication device, a mobile electronic device or a mobile phone.
According to a second aspect of the invention, an electronic device capable of taking a picture with different picture orientations without changing an orientation of the electronic device, comprising: a picture orientation switch, responsive to a picture orientation command signal from a user, for providing a readout switch signal; a sensor readout module, responsive to the readout switch signal, for providing a readout signal, wherein the picture orientation in the sensor readout module is switched from an initial picture orientation to a further picture orientation in response to the readout switch signal, the initial picture orientation is one of M possible picture orientations available for switching in the sensor readout module and the further picture orientation is one of the remaining M−1 possible picture orientations, M in an integer of at least a value of two; and an image sensor, responsive to the readout signal, for taking the picture with any of the M possible picture orientations.
According further to the second aspect of the invention, a picture size and a picture aspect ratio for all the M possible picture orientations may be identical.
Further according to the second aspect of the invention, the initial picture orientation may be set to a predetermined default picture orientation when an electric power is turned on in the electronic device. Further, the predetermined default picture orientation may be a horizontal orientation. Still further, the readout signal to the image sensor may be provided in response to a picture taking command signal provided to the sensor readout module for taking the picture with the further picture orientation using only an active area of the image sensor which corresponds to the further picture orientation. Yet still further, the picture taking command signal may be provided by the user through a user interface. Yet further still, after taking the picture with the further picture orientation, the further picture orientation may be automatically re-set to the predetermined default picture orientation
Still further according to the second aspect of the invention, a non-picture area of an image viewfinder of the electronic device may be used for displaying image and photography information related to the picture, wherein the non-picture area is an area of the image viewfinder which does not correspond to an active area of the image sensor used for taking the picture with the initial picture orientation or with the further picture orientation, or which is not used for taking pictures with any combination of the M picture orientations.
According further to the second aspect of the invention, the image sensor may have a cross shape or a square shape.
According still further to the second aspect of the invention, the image sensor may be a charged-coupled device (CCD) or complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS).
According further still to the second aspect of the invention, the initial picture orientation may be a horizontal picture orientation or a vertical picture orientation and the further picture orientation may be the vertical picture orientation or the horizontal picture orientation, respectively.
According yet further still to the second aspect of the invention, the electronic may be a camera, a portable communication device, a mobile electronic device or a mobile phone.
According to a third aspect of the invention, a cross-shaped image sensor for taking pictures with two perpendicular orientations, comprising: a square set of pixels with four perimeter sides A; and four rectangular sets of the pixels each attached to one of the four perimeter sides A of the square set of the pixels by one rectangular perimeter side equals to the perimeter side A, wherein, when one picture orientation of the two perpendicular orientations is required, the pixels are activated in the square set of the pixels and in two of the four rectangular sets of the pixels attached to corresponding opposite sides of the square set of the pixels and, when another picture orientation perpendicular to the one picture orientation is required, the pixels are activated in the square set of the pixels and in further two of the four rectangular sets of the pixels attached to further opposite sides of the square set of the pixels, the further opposite sides being perpendicular to the corresponding opposite sides of the square set of the pixels.
According further to the third aspect of the invention, all the four rectangular sets of the pixels may be equal.